ALBANY, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team received a career-high 18 kills and a career-high-tying 21 digs from junior outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), as the Cardinals defeated host Russell Sage College, 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-21), on day one of the Union/Russell Sage Crosstown Challenge on Friday evening at the Kahl Campus Center.
 
The Cardinals hit .153 for the match and owned the upper hand in service aces (8-6), blocks (8-3) and digs (66-65). The Gators, meanwhile, were limited to .077 hitting for the contest.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 4-3 overall with the win and next takes on Union College (10 a.m.) and Skidmore College (12 p.m.) on Union's campus tomorrow. Russell Sage falls to 2-9 overall with the loss and hosts SUNY Oneonta (10 a.m.) and Misericordia University (2 p.m.) tomorrow.
 
Russell Sage hopped out to an early lead by winning the first set, 25-19. The Cardinals went on a 5-0 run midway through the set, and a Gator attacking error staked Plattsburgh State to an 18-13 lead. Russell Sage then scored 12 of the set's final 13 points to come away with the victory in the opening stanza.
 
The Cardinals wasted no time responding in the second set, as they jumped out to an 8-1 advantage. Russell Sage eventually pulled within a point at 15-14 and stayed within striking distance, but kills by Zophy and first-year setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep), a Gator setting error and an ace by Zophy gave Plattsburgh State a 25-18 win in the second.
 
The Gators led in the early going of the third set, but Plattsburgh State stormed ahead with 10 unanswered points, and a service ace by first-year middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) put the Cardinals out in front, 17-10. Russell Sage drew back within three, but Plattsburgh State scored the final five points of the set, which included a pair of kills by Ganz, to take the third, 25-17.
 
Russell Sage held a slight edge in momentum for the first half of the fourth set and opened up a 14-10 lead following a kill by graduate student middle hitter Celia Gagnon. Plattsburgh State cut the gap to one after a 4-1 surge, and after a Gator kill, the Cardinals took the lead for good on the strength of a 5-0 tear. That run saw kills by Zophy, Ashong, Ganz and first-year outside hitter/right side Sanaia Estime (West Hempstead, N.Y./West Hempstead). Russell Sage was unable to score consecutive points the rest of the set, as Plattsburgh State clinched the match with a 25-21 triumph in the fourth.
 
In addition to Zophy, Ganz finished with nine kills and 17 assists, while Ashong reinforced the front row defensively with four total blocks (one solo, three assist). Junior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) also kept the offense running with 26 assists.
 
For Russell Sage, Gagnon led the way with 16 kills, while junior setter Statia Walker distributed 23 assists and sophomore right side Savannah Peterson defended 16 digs.